The Bangalore-based UL (Underwriter Labs) Pvt. Ltd — a subsidiary of the US-based UL LLC (estb.1894) which offers a wide range of industrial, fire suppression, home and other safety auditing, inspection, test and validation services — announced a partnership with Youth Service America (YSA) to launch two ‘Safer Roads, Safer India’ youth leadership programmes in India.
Under the programme, UL-YSA will shortly invite creative solutions from young people in Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai BMLand Pune to create safer roads and a safer India. Later this year, UL-YSA will award grants to 40 educators and 16 youth ambassadors to organise youth-led awareness, service, advocacy, and philanthropy activities. After being trained by experts in youth leadership and road safety issues, the grantees will conduct the largest youth-led road safety audit worldwide, mapping road safety in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. Subsequently they will raise public awareness about road safety and educate their peers and community members to improve safety practices and lead community service projects.
“Through the Safer Roads, Safer India campaign, we are trying to canalise youth energy to create solutions for a better and much stronger road safety scenario in India,” said R.A. Venkitachalam, vice president (public safety mission) of UL, speaking on the occasion.
IIS’ new leadership centre
Sushil Mantri, chairman and managing director of Mantri Developers Pvt. Ltd, Bengaluru, formally inaugurated a new Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Leadership of the Bangalore-based Indus International School (IIS, estb. 2003), on its Sarjapur campus on April 25. A new mobile healthcare centre and a low-cost sanitary napkin machine were also gifted to benefit underprivileged households in the vicinity of IIS.
“India stands on the edge of becoming a global leader, economically and culturally. The Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Leadership is a much-needed institution to build future leaders who will lead India in its growth trajectory. I applaud the efforts by the school to meaningfully educate children beyond the conventional learning system and make a positive difference to society and the country,” said Mantri, speaking on the occasion.
Added Sarojini Rao, principal of the IBO, Geneva-affiliated IIS who explained the objectives of the new centre: “The Mahatma Gandhi Centre is one more initiative of Indus International to create leaders of tomorrow. The launch of the mobile healthcare centre and the low-cost sanitary napkin machine are two more endeavours to guide children to become responsible leaders of society.”
BMU-IBM initiative
Dilpreet Singh, vice president and head of human resources of IBM India, Sunil Kant Munjal, chancellor, BML Munjal University, Gurgaon (BMU, estb. 2014) and Prof. G. Anandalingam, dean of the Imperial College, London’s business school, inaugurated a business analytics laboratory on the BMU campus on April 21.
Under the university’s career education programme, IBM will provide the software and case studies pedagogy to train BMU’s faculty. The objective of the programme is to enable BMU to graduate business managers with the requisite skill-sets to succeed in business and industry.
According to BMU sources, on completion of the faculty development programmes at the start of the next academic year (July), BMU will introduce an academic programme in business analytics in association with IBM. Thereafter, faculty members will train BMU’s business management students on big data and descriptive analytics to start with, and proceed to topics on predictive analysis.
“The career education programme is the perfect testimony to IBM’s continued commitment to software education and skills development in India. The new generation of business managers equipped with best in-class analytical skills will bring greater value to industry,” said Singh, speaking on the occasion.
Chancellor Sunil Kant Munjal stressed that BMU business management programmes have been co-designed by Imperial College London, ranked #2 in the QS World University Rankings 2014-15. “Business analytics is a growing field and is assuming huge importance worldwide. We have worked hard to formulate an MBA programme relevant to India — one that allows BMU students to become capable managers of the future,” he added.
ASU’s first convocation
The Sheikh SArai (Delhi)-based Apeejay Stya University (ASU, estb. 2010), which describes itself as “India’s first industry-centric liberal arts university focused on research, technology and innovation,” convened its first convocation ceremony at the varsity’s campus on April 18.
The chief guest at the event was Lord Swraj Paul, a life peer of Britain’s House of Lords and chairman of the London-based Caparo Group, who awarded degrees to undergraduate and postgrad students. “It gives me immense pleasure to see my niece (Sushma Paul-Berlia, chancellor of ASU) working towards quality education in India. Today, education has become more a business than a social service. My late brother Stya Paul struggled to impart education as a service and his legacy is being carried forward by Sushma. I am proud to witness this moment,” said Paul.
“The educational practices at ASU are a blend of best practices followed by reputed universities internationally, combined with Indian traditions and education,” added Sushma Paul-Berlia.